The Skywalker Legacy (Revised and Expanded)
by DarthPlagueis2122
Summary: My take on the directions Star Wars Episode 8 should take.
1. Chapter 1

**The Skywalker Legacy – A speculative one-shot on Episode 8**

 **By DarthPlageuis 2122**

 **Note to the Reader : **I am still working on Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side. Chapter 3 is taking a bit longer to write than anticipated. I have seen _Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens_ **three times** **.** I've been mulling over some theories especially as to who Rey's parents are. This is purely speculative and I have to thank a close friend of mine for suggesting the possibility of this scenario although the EU hints at this possibility when we consider that Jacen Solo is the one responsible for killing Mara Jade. As usual, constructive criticism is welcome here.

Obviously there are spoilers for _The Force Awakens_ here. You have been warned. _Star Wars_ is owned by Disney and LucasFilm. I am just playing in the world they've created.

* * *

 **Chapter One - Fateful Meetings**

Finn and Poe were off fighting the First Order. She could feel them under heavy fire. Where they were was unclear to her. Luke had always told her that the future was always in motion, to be mindful of the fact that she couldn't take every vision she saw seriously. One of her gifts was a mix of premonition and telemetry. She could sense the whole history of a person's experience merely by touching an object. Skywalker had refined that trait in her during her training. Nevertheless, her thoughts lingered on Finn. To say that she missed him was an understatement. Though they hadn't seen each other in six months, her feelings for him only grew stronger. Though she valued her independence she also admired Finn's desire to protect her at all costs. Indeed, his innate desire to defend her almost resulted in his death at the hands of Kylo Ren. After what they had gone through only a year or so earlier, it was hard for them not to have strong feelings for each other. They had both seen what that monster had done to Han Solo… _his own father_ …on the Starkiller Base. It chilled her spine as she made her way down a set of metal stairs. He was close. She felt him.

Luke Skywalker had taught her well. He told her about how Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side. He had only been a teenager. His parents had sent him to train with Luke and the first group of Jedi. It seemed promising at first. As the New Republic rose up—so too would a new Jedi Order rise to defend the galaxy once again. It was not meant to be. Snoke had manipulated the boy who already had an obsession with the legacy of his grandfather. Luke told her about how Ben had gathered other disaffected vulnerable types around him and formed the Knights of Ren. How they betrayed Luke and the Jedi—smashing them with one fatal murderous attack. Luke had been lucky to escape the massacre alive. But he had not been left unscathed. He never told her what Kylo Ren had taken from him, but it hurt him still.

She asked, but he refused to speak to her on that subject preferring instead to linger on stories of the past—Ben Kenobi, Yoda, the struggle to redeem Anakin Skywalker—the once blissful marriage that his sister had with Han Solo before the Dark Side reared its ugly head. She tiptoed out and grabbed hold of the old and worn lightsaber on her waist. She held it up waiting.

"Enough of this. Show yourself already." There was a rustling in the distance. Then the familiar figure of Kylo Ren stepped out in front of her. This time he was wearing his mask, not just for show but to hide the scar she had left behind on his face.

"I knew we would meet again." She rolled her eyes but didn't ignite her lightsaber.

"You haven't changed Kylo."

"But you have…I have no doubt who trained you." He paused for a moment. "Luke is a fool if he thinks you can ever hope to beat me."

"He has other plans in mind that don't simply rely on me. If I do recall however you were on the receiving end of my blade the last time we met."

"Beginner's luck Rey…you've been trained so I have…the only difference is that I've been at this much longer than you." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her opponent.

"You Knights of Ren fight in the shadows…when you have to confront something directly you aren't so tough…" That stung him but he did his best not to let it show.

"So that was your handiwork outside? A pity…the Seven were always so good together as a unit…it won't be the same without them…"

"You're going to pay for what you've done."

"Who's going to make me? You? Come now…even with your powers you cannot destroy the Dark Side of the Force." He ignited his crossgaurded lightsaber. "Or are you too afraid for your friends Rey?" She shrugged his taunt and ignited the blue lightsaber gripping it with both hands.

"I thought so." He grunted as he struck down hard but she parried him and pushed him back. Their blades clashed again as they landed blow after blow. She leapt over him and struck toward his back but he blocked her shot. "So…my uncle has taught you well."

"He learned from the best," she clenched her teeth as she struck his blade and slammed him hard against a wall. He pushed her back with the Force sending her flying but she recovered and pulled the blue blade up in a defensive position.

"Rey…it doesn't have to be like this. My offer still stands. Let me train you." She could tell he was sincere.

"Never." She ran toward him and slashed to his right then back up but he bent back allowing both of her attacks to miss him by inches. He kicked her hard in the chest and struck her shoulder lightly singing her. She grunted but swung her hand back striking his helmet hard as she lunged striking his side. He backed away holding his chest. "Take that damned helmet off Ben…accept who you really are!" He pressed a button and with a hiss the helmet opened and he threw it down hard to the ground. She held back a gasp as she saw the scar running down his face—she had done that to him. Whatever she said had provoked another reaction in him. In spite of himself he couldn't complete purge himself of the pull of the Light Side.

"Only my parents have the right to call me that name. You don't have that privilege." He began to taunt her as he moved closer to her with his blade held to the side. "In fact, you don't even know your parents. You don't have a clue who they are. All this business about how they're going to come back and get their little girl? It's a lie Rey and you know it. Maz Kanata told you as much didn't she?"

"Shut up!"

"I must have touched a nerve with that one." She raised her blade as she closed her eyes to keep her anger in check. "You feel what I feel now. Those feelings…that rage you have is more powerful than anything Luke taught you."

"You're a liar." He lifted up his blade high over his head and struck down hard with a might blow. She lunged forward blocking him. He pressed down hard as they both clashed together. Their faces were very close together. They stayed that way for a moment. She then swung around and hit his side and landed another kick at him. He was too slow for her and she struck him again. This time he fell to the ground. He spit up blood from his mouth as she slammed her left foot hard on his chest and aimed her saber at his neck. "It's over." He smiled and started to laugh.

"It's not over Rey."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not actually going to kill me. It's just not what the Jedi do." He paused and looked away for a moment. "Besides…if you kill me you'll never know the truth about your family." Hearing this she lowered her guard. He summoned all his strength and stabbed her in the waist then slammed her against the wall.

"Never lower your defenses." She was going to strike him back but he slammed her face hard into the wall, letting her crumple down to the ground. Now they were both bloodied. He grabbed the back of her head to finish her off but she moved quickly. Rey grunted as she quickly slashed at his legs and knocked his blade out of his hand. She brought down her blade hard piercing the wound Chewbacca had left in his lower chest. He screamed out loudly as she twisted the blade and then held it to his neck again. She wiped her face. There was some blood pouring down her leg now.

"Ben…you won't make me kill you." He smiled at her. She looked so much like him in this moment that it surprised him that she really didn't know the truth. As he lay on that floor, the internal conflict he had always had rose to the surface. What was he really doing? What had he done? How was it possible that his mother and his uncle still wanted him back home after all that had passed between them? It didn't make any sense. His eyes linked with hers. She could sense the turmoil in him, but this time she didn't let it faze her one bit.

"I have to tell you the truth Rey…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You say you can't kill me…but you will after what I tell you…" She held herself steady. Were there tears coming welling in his eyes or was this just another ploy? He was going to do the same thing he did with Han. She wasn't going to let that happen. Kylo heard her thoughts and preempted her actions. "I know what you think of me…I am a monster. I wanted to be Vader but I am not…" Then she did something that most would have considered crazy. She extinguished her lightsaber and put it back to her side. "What are you doing?" She extended her hand out to him. He was confused, but he grabbed it.

"What Luke would want me to do. Your mother misses you…"

"I know. But I can't go back and face her."

"In the light there is always forgiveness." He turned to her spitting out more blood in the process.

"Not for what I've done. That's why the next time we meet one of us will die."

"Why?" He looked away choosing not to answer that question.

"Don't you want to know how you ended up on Jakku?" The name of the planet stung her.

"My parents left me there." He replied with a mocking laugh.

"By the Force you really don't know do you?"

"Why do you think Anakin's lightsaber gave you visions connected with Luke? Do you think that was an accident Rey?" She looked down. The young Jedi didn't like where this was going. "Your mother was a Jedi Knight…ex-Imperial if you can believe that. She was one of the first new Jedi that Uncle Luke trained at the academy." He paused and turned his back on her unable to look at her face. "The first person I killed during the slaughter was her." That news shook Rey to her core. She refused to give in to her anger at this revelation. "But then I did something worse. I wanted to hurt your father badly…taking away his wife wasn't enough."

"What did you do?"

"I took his five year old daughter away and let him believe she was dead." Everything started to make sense now for her.

"You…you left me in Jakku."

"Yes."

"The vision… the memory I saw…I was there at the slaughter…that was a First Order transport leaving Jakku."

"Precisely."

"Is my father alive?" There was silence. She lost her patience and pushed him up against the wall. "Is he alive?"

"Yes…very much so."

"Who is he?"

"Luke Skywalker." The revelation hit her hard. She let go of Kylo Ren and walked away from him before she crumpled down to the floor. "That's how I know you can never forgive me." Then the realization hit her. Luke was her father. Leia and Han were her aunt and uncle…and Kylo Ren…

"How could you do this to us? To me?"

"I didn't realize it until after they told me that some girl took the droid with her aboard the _Millenium Falcon_ …" He paused sighing. "That's when I put it together. I should've known when I had you in the interrogation room. What other reason could have led us together again?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why? Why did you have to kill my mother?"

"She refused to back away…I had to kill her to become a true follower of the Dark Side." Rey moved closer to him. She had to know the answers now.

"Why didn't you kill me…you could've hurt Luke in any way you wanted…killing me would've been worse…" Kylo Ren…Ben Solo…it was getting hard for him to know who he really was anymore. He searched his mind to answer her questions. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to answer her questions.

"I couldn't kill you. It was raining after we had slaughtered everyone at the academy. I saw you there crying. I knew who you were. Something in me told me not to kill you. So I took you to Jakku and left you there." He paused. "Uncle Luke is very powerful…I am surprised he hasn't figured it out yet." He felt something hard hit him in the side. The hilt of his lightsaber landed right next to his foot.

"Get out!" He was shocked.

"You're letting me go?" There were tears running down her face.

"Get out now…before I change my mind." He grabbed his blade and his mask.

"Why…how could you…"

"Because you're my blood…whether I like it not…that's something worth fighting for." He put the mask on his head.

"What will you tell Luke?"

"I don't know yet." He nodded his head and walked away. She grabbed her side as she watched him go. Rey had much to think about now. She had many questions to ask. And Luke…how would she breaks this to him? She didn't know at all. Something stirred within her as she stared at Kylo Ren leaving her presence. "Ben…" He stopped by the stairway, being careful not to turn around. "I'll fight for you…like Han did." Whether that affected him or not, she couldn't tell. He stayed put for a few more moments and then climbed up the steps leaving her to deal with her thoughts. She smiled for a moment...for now she wasn't just an anonymous scavenger any longer. She wasn't "no one" anymore. She knew her name and that mattered more than anything else. Rey Skywalker had a destiny and it would bring her to cross paths again with Ben Solo for better and for worse.

* * *

General Leia Organa felt the tremor in the Force almost as viscerally as when she felt her beloved husband die on the Starkiller Base. There was something else gnawing at her this time. She sank in her seat considering what it meant. Rey was hurting. She could feel it thousands of miles across the galaxy. Luke had trained her well, but she had desired to face Ben Solo alone and against everyone's better judgment. Suddenly Leia felt another presence in the room with her. It began with a whispering voice but then grew clearer.

" _Leia!_ " It was calling her name. The voice sounded sweet to her ears. She turned around and gasped as she saw the figure standing in front of her. It was a man dressed in the old Jedi robes looking much like Obi-Wan Kenobi did before his untimely death. There was a bluish white tint to his figure but he was human. His face was different—it looked a lot like Luke's face. It hit her then who was addressing her. She felt a mix of emotions. It was her father's ghost.

"I don't want to talk with you."

"She's in pain. She needs you and Luke more than ever."

"Why would you care? You caused all of this…"

"Luke told you what I said to him." He paused looking down. "He was right about me in the end." A single tear traced down her cheek.

"Yes. So he was. But my son...he's lost father. I don't think we'll ever get him back." Anakin Skywalker's features softened as he moved closer to his daughter. She was older than the last time she saw them on Endor but he recognized her inner strength right away. That had not changed over the years, she was as determined and as stubborn as ever.

"He doesn't know the truth. Snoke has lied to him about the Empire and about my legacy. But he has not been with the Dark Side as long as I was when Luke met me."

"Still…something happened. Something big…Rey confronted him."

"How could I not feel it? My grandchildren were fighting each other Leia, it caused pain to see Skywalkers fighting each other like that. There was hatred and bitter recriminations on both sides." Hearing this sudden revelation shocked her senses.

"Rey? Who is she?" Anakin sighed.

"Leia…your brother married…he has a daughter who he doesn't realize exists. He has thought her dead all this time. When Ben finally turned and led the Knights of Ren on a rampage of the new academy…he left her alive." Leia turned toward her father's ghost.

* * *

On Ahch-To, Luke Skywalker paced back and forth nervously. He heard the _Millenium Falcon_ land in the distance. Leia had already told him about their father's appearance to her a few days earlier. Rey came up the stairs, fresh wounds covered her but she seemed all right. She dropped her staff to the ground and approached Luke.

"Did you know?"

"I couldn't have known for sure…but that day we first met I felt it in the Force…you looked familiar. I didn't have to ask who you were or why you were here…I knew it in my heart."

"Why didn't you tell me you suspected it then?" He sat down near the tomb by the cliff's edge. Rey noticed it more clearly now. "Is that where you buried her?" Luke sighed.

"Sit down please." He paused for a moment as he lowered his hood completely and took off his outer robe laying over Rey. She was shivering, but it wasn't simply because of the breeze. She smiled at him as he put her arm around you. "I am sorry we had to meet again this way."

"It's not your fault."

"It is Rey."

"How?"

"Leia always feared for the boy's life…"

"My cousin Ben?" Luke nodded his head.

"He was fascinated with your grandfather. Not with his life as a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars…not with his redemption on the Second Death Star…something he never entirely grasped anyway. No, Ben was obsessed with Darth Vader."

"Father," she smiled as she said it. Then she grew more nervous. "What happened with Ben? I saw things when I held your lightsaber…he told me some more…but I need to know the truth."

"Your cousin as I am sure you realize is much older than you. When I started the long process of reforming the Jedi Order we had a lot of promising candidates. Most of them were young, like Ben. They trained very well. They were all dedicated to the Order. It took a lot of convincing, but somehow I got Han and Leia on board with letting me train Ben directly as a youngling. He must have nine or ten years old when he first began training. We didn't know much about the old Jedi Code. Though I had learned enough to know that the old Code needed to be reformed…your grandfather's fall could have been avoided entirely if the Code had not been so stringent on attachments. You see for most of the existence of the Order very few Jedi were ever allowed to marry. Any form of attachment was considered a stepping stone to the Dark Side of the Force. For a time, that made sense. That was part of the reason why Yoda saw me as being too old for the training when I first met him at Dagobah. Force-sensitive children were often taken from their parents at a very young age and raised at the various Jedi Temples that existed across the universe." He paused to see if Rey understood. She kept her eyes focused on him as he continued speaking. "I made the decision that I didn't want things to be that way here." He looked away from her. "Those first few years were exhilirating. We must have had more than fifty apprentices and Jedi learning here. Leia even came a few times to learn from me directly..." He paused again. "And to visit with Ben. He was so happy then. I really believed we could shake off Snoke's influence on him. But I was wrong. Even so, I always had someone at my side who believed at me. She became an odd sort of friend to me. I took it upon myself to train her alongside Ben."

"Is that how you met my mother?"

"Yes."

"Ben said she was ex-Imperial." He laughed.

"It was a little more complicated than that I am afraid." She smiled.

"When I first met your mother, the first thing she said she wanted to do was kill me. And she was very serious about that."

"Why?"

"She served as a secret agent of sorts…she knew even more things going on than your grandfather did. She knew so much that when she defected from the Empire she personally led the raid for the plans for the first Death Star?"

"Rogue One? That was my mother?"

"Yes Rey." She looked at the tomb they were sitting across from.

"Is she buried there?"

"Yes."

"We were so happy when you were born. We really were. I helped her become one of the first full-fledged Jedi of the new order. And for a time, it seemed like all was well. Until Ben was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force." She uttered the name that came to her mind without a second thought.

"Snoke…" She paused as she asked her question, "Who is he?"

"I have my thoughts on who he could be. I believe he had something to do with my father and with Palpatine. He was around during the Clone Wars that much I know."

"Why the interest in Ben?"

"He's not a typical Sith Lord if that's what you're asking. He wanted someone who embodied both the light and the dark. Ben had that. So do you by virtue of your parentage." He paused. "You felt it pulling you on the Starkiller Base." She turned away.

"Yes. I wanted to kill him for what he had done to Han and to Finn." Luke nodded his head.

"You heard a voice didn't you?" She was silent but he could tell she was answering his question with her silence. "It was Snoke telling you kill Kylo Ren."

"How did you know?" Luke gave her a somewhat mocking smirk.

"I am a Jedi Master, you learn a lot after thirty years of communing with the Force."

"What do we do now?"

"You need to see your aunt. She has a mission for you, Poe, and Finn. Besides, I am sure Finn would like to see you as well." She blushed a bit. "I know the history between you two. It's actually quite a lot like mine, Leia's, and Han's. The three of us and Chewie really knew how to get out of tight spaces."

"Did you feel his death?" It felt like a stupid question to ask. But she wanted to hear her father's answer.

"I did."

"He meant a lot to you."

"He saved my life many times. I returned the favor to him. He married my twin sister, we were brothers in everything but blood."

"You still think Kylo could come back from the precipice."

"I saw it happen with my father and he had been a Dark Lord of the Sith for the better part of twenty years by the time we clashed sabers. It's not impossible. But Snoke is difficult. You cannot face him alone."

"Who's going to come with me…you?" He pulled out a worn hilt of a lightsaber and ignited its green blade. He played with it for a moment listening contently to the hum it made before extinguishing it and looking at his lost child.

"Why not Rey? Only together can we do this. Only a father and daughter together can bring your cousin back to the light." She smiled at him as she stood up looking at the coast admiring the waves crashing at the shore. There was a new mission now. She felt it deeply in her soul. Her father put his arm around her shoulder as they gazed out together contemplating what their next move would be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - A Mother's Story Part I**

She looked at the waves as they battered the rocky shore. Luke sat next to her.

"What was her name?" He let a small smile slip through his normally calm façade.

"Jyn Erso." The name seemed familiar to Rey, but she couldn't quite place it. "Has anyone told you that your thoughts are easy to read?" It was her turn to smile now.

"You said that the first thing she told you when you met was that she wanted kill you?"

"That's right."

"She was part of a group of trained assassins…but she defected from the Empire. Your mother was older than me by a few years."

"I've heard that runs in our family."

"Yes it does."

"Go on father…"

"Well…your mother…I knew her by a code name…Rogue One."

"Like the squadron you and Wedge Antilles led?"

"Precisely." He paused and took a deep breath. "It all begins with Rogue One…it was a brutal operation…long before I knew anything about the Rebellion…long before a lot of things happened…" his eyes lit up as he recalled a moment more than thirty years ago in the aftermath of that fateful duel at Bespin.

* * *

Commander Jyn Erso was furious as she walked down the corridors passing groups of Rebel troops and pilots aboard the medical frigate. She had been to the celebration where Princess Leia had awarded Luke Skywalker and Han Solo for their brave acts that aided in the destruction of the Death Star. They had all but forgotten Jyn and her team's sacrifices. She doubted that they even remembered Phoenix Squadron or Ahsoka Tano's death at the hands of Darth Vader. She remembered how proud she was of Luke then…but now she was furious with him. She made it to the end of the bay and saw Leia with him and the droids. The _Falcon_ had just departed. She paused for a moment. Leia saw her.

"Jyn."

"Your highness." She bowed slightly. Luke saw her and smiled. He recoiled quickly when he saw that she didn't return the favor.

"Luke, I am going to go see where the fleet's next move is. I'll be back." He nodded his head as Threepio mumbled some insult to Artoo as they all left. Now Jyn and he were alone.

"Pretty stupid thing you did on Bespin…" He turned away from her uncomfortably.

"Yeah well, my friends needed my help."

"And you, being the noble Jedi that you are had to go off half-cocked to fight Vader."

"What's it to you Jyn?"

"I've faced him down and lived to tell the tale. You are part of a select group of people Skywalker. There are many others, much more powerful than you who have fallen before the blade of that Sith Lord." She has piqued his interest.

"Like who?"

"There was a cell of rebels, including three wannabe Jedi…two of them were pretty skilled."

"Go on."

"One of them was a Togruta…tough as nails…they say she was the apprentice of your father…Anakin Skywalker." That piece of information opened his eyes.

"What happened to her?"

"She dueled with Vader. They fought to a draw but she sacrificed herself to save her team. They died during the planning stages of Rogue One. Which left my cell to do the deed. They were good people." Luke swallowed deeply.

"You don't know too much Jyn. If you knew what I know now, you wouldn't speak with me."

"Oh yeah? Try me Skywalker." He squeezed his hand.

"Vader let me live." That piece of information shocked her.

"Why?" A part of her had always guessed at the answer but she could never be sure.

"You know the ways of the Force. I know enough about your past to know who you were." He paused and looked her squarely in the eyes. "You were an Inquisitor. You know who he is…or who he was."

"There were rumors of what transpired at the end of the Clone Wars. Whispers that one of the greatest knights of the Old Republic had fallen."

"Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader." Her eyes widened. She instinctively grabbed her blaster and aimed at him.

"What's to stop you from becoming a menace to us like he has been? I should kill you right now."

"Go ahead Jyn…we've had this coming a long time. I've seen you watching me."

"What do you know about it?"

"I know that you struggle to reconcile your past sins with your present heroics. I know you stood by while Vader killed Jedi and Rebel alike. Palpatine doesn't entirely trust my father does he?"

"Of course not. He's a Sith Lord. They can't trust each other. Vader is constantly looking for a chance to overthrow his master." The words of his father came to back him when she said that. It all made sense to him now. Jyn heard the words too. She saw the scene unfolding before her—feeling the wind billowing against her as she saw the black clad figure of Vader in the distance.

 _"Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny! Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son! Come with me. It is the only way."_

She lowered her blaster and dropped it. Tears streamed down her face as she crumpled to the floor.

"Jyn…" Luke moved closer.

"Get away from me. He made you an offer like he did with Ahsoka…like he did with me before I turned traitor…"

"It's not your fault." He grabbed her hand gently. The warmth that flowed through her was indescribable.

"Don't you get it Luke? They took me away from my family. I was an orphan in the Imperial Academy…they made me kill people…trained me to kill, fight, use explosives…I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Vader…I'm unforgivable."

"That's not true and you know it. You avenged Phoenix Squadron by stealing the plans for the Death Star and getting them to Leia. Without that all would be lost today. Don't think that doesn't count for something because it does." The two were very close to each other, their breathing was almost synchronous.

* * *

"I see where I get my charming personality from."

"Rey…your mother had many wounds. But she was a beautiful woman."

"Is that when you married her?"

"No." He stood up and adjusted his cloak. He lowered his hood down exposing his bearded rugged face to the elements.

"I don't understand."

"We got separated very quickly after that. I didn't see her for another year and a half. She participated in the Battle on Endor fighting alongside Lando Calrissian. She was assigned to Green Squadron where she was a wingman for Shara Bey. I believe you know Shara's son."

"Not Poe Dameron?"

"Yes." He paused as she smiled knowingly. "I knew his parents very well. She tagged along with me on a few missions."

"When did you see her again?"

"Right after the Battle of Jakku."


	3. Chapter 3

**Note : I am very much indebted to the inspiring story Red Five by lotusflower85. That story gave me some ideas. Let me know what you think and any constructive criticism. Ideas for where this story should go moving forward are most welcome. Please leave these suggestions and comments in the reviews.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Family Ties**

The Battle of Jakku had been bloody but decisive affair. The remaining Imperial forces had been almost completely obliterated thanks to the piloting of Han Solo with some timely help by Shara Dameron and Jyn Erso thrown into the mix. The celebrations seemed to go on forever but Luke Skywalker wasn't interested in any of it. He held onto the railing overlooking the emptiness of space far away from his soon-to-be brother-in-law's laughter. Jyn snuck up behind him. Or rather, he let her believe she did.

"It's been a while…I thought of you a lot."

"I am sorry Luke, about everything." She paused before adding, "Especially about Anakin…he was good in the end." He exhaled deeply. She could tell he was deep in thought.

"Yes he was. He saved me." They said nothing for a while. Finally, he turned around to face her. "As soon as the Alliance wraps up matters here—maybe after Han and Leia marry…I am going to leave."

"Where will you go?'

"Yavin IV…maybe try and fine some more Jedi or Sith holocrons." He looked up at her eyes intently. "You could come with me?" She scoffed at that suggestion.

"What for Luke?"

"I'm going to try to rebuild the Jedi Order. And I need all the Force-sensitive people I can find." She rolled her eyes.

" _You_ want to take _me_ as your apprentice? You know my history farm-boy…I don't like working with other people—at least not anymore…not like that." He felt warm inside as if the Force was beckoning him. He moved closer to her. She felt it too. He pushed a strand of her aside.

"It's not just because I want you as an apprentice." She breathed in deeply.

"What else could you possibly want with me…" He silenced her protestations with a gentle kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and leaned in embracing him. They stayed that way for a while and just held each other. "I knew from the moment we met…I knew how you felt about me and I felt the same way."

"The Force works in strange ways doesn't it?" He smiled at her as they stood there overlooking the empty sea of space. They could hear footsteps coming approaching. Within moments Han Solo entered the room roaring with laughter followed closely by Leia.

"Kid! Kid! Luke…you've got to come out here…" He stopped mid-sentence.

"Where was he?"

"I swear I saw Jyn in here with him."

"Jedi tricks…now that I know this is real…it would have served me much better a smuggler." Leia rolled her eyes letting a slight smile cross her face.

"Well wherever he is, I think he doesn't want to be found."

In another corner of the ship, far from the bridge, the two warriors sat with each other.

"Why did you have us leave so quickly…surely your sister must know who you were with?"

"Yes, but I wanted us not to be interrupted."

"By that boor of a nerfherder Han?" Hearing her call his best friend that name made him laugh. "What is it?"

"Leia is the only one who calls him that."

"I know farm-boy." She paused adjusting her jumpsuit. "Why pick me out?"

"Because you are the only other person besides Han and Leia who know who and what my father was…" He turned away from her. "…who he once was and who he could be." She grabbed his hand squeezing it lightly. She sensed he wanted to know more.

"You mentioned a name once."

"Ahsoka?"

"Yes. Who was she?"

"One of the earliest members of Bail Organa's rebel cells. She helped a band of Force-sensitive people tangle with Vader and the Inquisitors."

"But she was something more than that…"

"She was Anakin Skywalker's apprentice." Luke's eyes bulged.

"My father had an apprentice…he was a rogue Jedi."

"That's precisely why they gave him an apprentice, a younger girl with more spunk than him."

"To teach a sense of responsibility…they worked well together. She was fiercely loyal to him and to Padmé." That last name shook him to his core.

"Padmé?"

"Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo. A charismatic leader of the Old Republic. In it's waning days she helped forge the first resistance to Palpatine's rule. She also violated every rule in the book by secretly marrying your father."

"How do you know all this Jyn?"

"This was passed down among the rumors of those first rebels. But Ahsoka filled in the gaps for me. It was she who realized who Vader really was."

"They fought." She nodded her head.

"She fought him to a draw so I heard…cut his helmet in half exposing his human face. The rest of her cell tried to intervene to save her, but she refused." She paused for a moment and sighed.

"You were close."

"Yes. She was supposed to be involved in stealing the plans. When she fell at Vader's hands, it was a deadly blow to the Rebel Alliance. One that was only matched when Phoenix Squadron…which was her old unit…was obliterated. That was when the Rebel High Command accelerated the operation you know as Rogue One."

"Of all the old Rebels, you lived…"

"I was the only one…but you knew that already. In that respect, Luke…" She couldn't believe she was actually using his name now. It felt right to do so. "You and I are quite similar. We lost everything we thought we knew…our whole worlds were shattered…"

"But we found a new life."

"Yes."

"Will you help me restore the Jedi Order?" She avoided his eyes.

"If it means so much to you—"

"It does," he added.

"Then I will." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

* * *

Rey was transfixed by the story her father told her.

"When do you decide to marry her?"

"I knew it then on that ship after the battle. The Force brought us together again after that time apart."

"Did she know me?"

"Yes."

"And Ben?"

"She loved Ben…she used to say that he was her favorite nephew." That comment made her laugh.

"Tell me about him before he turned. About all of this…how it started."

* * *

Ben Solo lunged with the wooden sword in his hand as he clashed with his aunt's mock blade as Luke watched the scene. It had been twelve years since the Battle of Jakku, and the new Jedi Academy was thriving. Jyn spun around and gently Force-pushed her nephew back, but the boy was tenacious and with a quirky smile that reminded them both of Han he lunged back in.

"All right I think that's enough for today."

"Come on Uncle Luke I was ready to beat her." He rubbed the boy's jet black hair a bit as he hugged him.

"I'm sure you were." He winked at Jyn. "Go inside and get ready for lunch. We'll be there shortly." He ran in with a huge smile on his face as he gave his aunt a playful shove.

"He's something else."

"Ben's got a lot of Leia and Han in him, that much is sure."

"You worry about him."

"He's got the Skywalker legacy to shoulder…like we all do."

"It's not a curse Luke."

"But it could be. You should know that better than anyone." She nodded her head as she wiped some sweat off of her brow.

"He'll make a fine Jedi someday." Luke's thoughts drifted far away to the skies above him.

"Our Republic must be careful."

"The Imperial Remnant's on your mind."

"They are calling themselves the First Order now aren't they?" She shook her head in the affirmative.

"Luke we will deal with them in due time. We've certainly got enough Jedi in training to give them a sound thrashing if they ever try anything." He smiled kissing her cheek gently.

"Enough about politics for one day…I am starving and Ben is probably wondering if we got 'lost' along the way."

* * *

Four years later, the Jedi were growing more numerous. Equally so were the threats posed by the burgeoning First Order. Luke had sent a group of Jedi to deal with a small detachment of Storm Troopers who were raiding some of the outlying worlds in Republic space. A sixteen-year old Ben Solo stood shoulder to shoulder with a group of twenty Jedi. At the head of the group was his aunt Jyn. They were dressed in an updated version of the old Jedi robes, mirroring more of the black color that was Luke's hallmark. Across from them were a group of riot-armored Storm Troopers with their electronic batons at the ready.

"I know that some of you are afraid. That's normal. But don't let it dominate you." She pushed some of her dark brown hair to one side as she looked at the Jedi. Ben and her exchanged a small smile. "Follow me!" She ignited her dark blue blade and the other's followed suit as the Storm Trooper's charged at their line. The two groups clashed almost in slow motion, as the Jedi swung their blades against the troopers. Ben saw three of them ganging up on his aunt. _I have to help her!_ He ran toward her with his blade at the ready, shoving some troopers aside and stabbing another through the chest. Ben grunted as he leapt up into the air and landed next to his aunt—their back's facing each other.

"You know I could have handled them on my own?"

"Sure…But I can't let you get all the glory can I?" She laughed.

"Ready?"

"We take them together Jyn." She nodded her head as they worked as a team striking at each of the troopers and parrying and striking as one entity. One trooper's baton came to close to Jyn's shoulder and Ben blocked it before it landed.

"Thanks." He smiled.

"Don't mention it."

* * *

Rey and Luke were aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ now. She had convinced him to return to the Resistance base immediately. She had wanted to hear more stories. But he had stopped at that highpoint in the relationship between Ben and Jyn. He had decided that she had heard enough for the time being. They rode the rest of the way in silence.

It was an odd family reunion to say the least. Luke had accepted Leia's invitation to meet with her and certain members of the Resistance. He arrived on the _Falcon_ with Rey piloting the vessel. They said very little as they landed. In the distance, she could see Poe Dameron and Finn trading jokes as they left a small shuttle behind them. BB-8 was rolling behind them interjecting his occasional exclamations as the two men caught sight of the _Falcon_. Finn saw her first and regardless of what anyone else thought about it he ran toward his friend and gave her a hug.

"You're back?" She smiled.

"So are you." He looked away. "How's the back healing up?"

"I wake up with a burning sensation there sometimes, but it's not as bad as before. I owe you my life."

"Don't talk like that. We made it out of there together remember?" He smiled. Luke Skywalker drew his hood back and gazed at the group in front of him.

"Poe Dameron, I knew your parents very well." Poe smiled.

"It's an honor to meet you General, they told me a lot about you growing up on Yavin IV." He waved his hand away as he smiled.

"Please, I haven't been a general for a few decades." He looked at Finn. "You must be the man that my daughter never stops talking about." Poe and Finn exchanged a confused glance.

"Your daughter?" Then Finn's eyes widened as he realized who the venerable Jedi Master was talking about. "Rey…is it true?" The young girl smiled at him. She nodded her head. Finn started to return the smile. Before he could say anything more General Leia Organa stepped out and smiled at Luke.

"I'm glad you made it."

"Me too." He paused again. "We have a lot to talk about Leia."

"We do." She stared at the other three and then spoke up. "I think the three of you need to join us right away."

* * *

"You want us to do what?" Finn's voice echoed across the small meeting room as Leia paced back and forth.

"We need to confront Snoke and Kylo Ren." Finn raised his hand up.

"You weren't here the last time Luke but we almost didn't make it out alive and Rey's 'cousin' bloodied her up in their last conflict. Why are you so certain this is the right course of action?" Luke Skywalker sighed.

"Because Snoke won't be expecting it."

"He could kill you father." Rey's voice broke through the argument that had been going on for the last few minutes trying to drive some kind of reason into Luke's mind.

"Perhaps."

"She's right Luke…I've already lost… _we_ already lost Han…must we lose more people?"

"We have to confront them again. All of us."

"I am a pilot not a ground trooper…" Poe was objecting but Luke dismissed him.

"Your parents were pivotal to the Battle of Endor in the skies above and on the forest moon itself. You are more than adept as a warrior Poe. This is precisely the mission you are called too…you must fly us into their base."

"And when we get there? What do you expect me to do? Walk up to Phasma and ask her, 'Gee can you schedule a meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke?' This is really not the smartest idea we've come up with." Luke turned away and finally revealed the secret to his plan.

"Snoke has never revealed his true self to Kylo Ren." They all stood silently, waiting for Luke to fill in the gaps that everyone wanted to know. "Ben doesn't realize who Snoke is. I believe that if he finds out the truth he may well turn against his master." Leia asked a question that Rey had asked on the island before they departed on the _Falcon_.

"Luke…who is he really?"

"His name was Plagueis once…Darth Plagueis the Wise. He has been a thorn in the side of us all for many years even though we never realized it." He sighed as he continued his story. "My understanding is that Darth Plagueis was so powerful that he was able to manipulate life and death on a whim. He took on apprentice named Sidious…but everyone knew him by another name…Palpatine." Leia's eyes widened finally understanding their predicament.

"By the Force…he was Palpatine's master?"

"Yes. And Palpatine used the promise of Plagueis's power to seduce our father to the Dark Side. But Palpatine was more foolish than anyone else. He thought he killed his master, but the reality was that Plagueis wanted him to think that way." Rey spoke up.

"What possible difference could any of this make to Kylo Ren?"

"He may idolize Darth Vader but he doesn't understand Vader's legacy. Perhaps if realizes how manipulative Snoke has been, if he sees him for who he is. We might have a shot of turning him back. We have to try."


End file.
